Bradford Council recently announced that they have given approval for a new 12.5tpd hydrogen production facility, which will be based in West Yorkshire.

The new facility will be known as the Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen (BLCH) and the development of this facility will be handled by Hygen and N-Gen. The expectation of this project, is for it to be capable of producing 12.5 tonnes of hydrogen on a daily basis. This amount should be enough to make it possible to remove eight hundred diesel-fuelled buses from the local roads on a daily basis.

This project has come along way since it was first awarded funding and the contract was awarded to BLCH in December of 2023. This contract was awarded to the project through the UK Government’s £2bn first hydrogen allocation round (HAR1). BLCH was also the largest project to receive funding during the HAR1 round.

BLCH will be located on the old Birkshall gas storage site, as this will enable it to supply the hydrogen it produces to businesses and others within West Yorkshire. The hydrogen will be distributed by Ryze and it will be available to any companies within the area who want to make use of the planned refuelling facilities that are located on-site.

N-Gen’s Managing Director, Gareth Mills, commented that, ‘the facility will support local businesses aiming to decarbonise and attract new companies and jobs to the region, “by placing the city at the forefront of the transition to clean energy.” He continued, “The site was once home to gas holders, which stored natural gas used by the residents and businesses in Bradford. So, it is fitting that the site will continue its heritage and now be used for the production and storage of hydrogen.”

Director at Hygen, Jamie Burns, mentioned, “Along with our partners, we have worked tirelessly to develop these plans, which will provide a blueprint for how complex projects like this can be delivered, boosting the hydrogen and green economies of the UK.”